


One Truth

by GoringWriting



Series: 3...2...1 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Gwaine Flirts (Merlin), Lancelot (Merlin) Lives, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), Protective Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:35:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27322081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: It's time to talk to Merlin about what they overheard and what they decided to do about it. Which leads to some unexpected revelations.
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)
Series: 3...2...1 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1991551
Comments: 6
Kudos: 182





	One Truth

Merlin sneaks back into Camelot after parting ways with Lancelot in the woods. The two of them decided it’s better if they were not caught together. 

He stumbles into Gaius’ chamber. Expecting to find his mentor asleep in his cot and for him to be able to sneak up to his room and sleep. 

He is not expecting both Arthur and Gwaine to be waiting within the chamber and Gaius to be nowhere to be found. 

He freezes when he sees the solemn look on both men’s faces. 

No. 

“Did something happen to Gaius?” Merlin asks softly, feeling a bit faint. 

“No! Lady Abigail went into labor and he is attending her. Sorry, we didn’t mean to worry you unnecessarily,” Arthur says immediately and now Merlin is even more confused. 

“Then why are you both in the physician’s chamber so late. Is someone ill?”

“No...we wanted to talk to you,” Arthur says. 

“And this couldn’t wait until morning?” Merlin asks. 

“No,” Arthur and Gwaine say at the same time and Merlin’s worries increase tenfold. What could they need to talk to him about this late at night that wouldn’t be able to be spoken about in the morning. 

“Alright then, but do you mind if I do some work? Gaius had me out picking plants,” Merlin lies and sees the two men wince.

“Actually perhaps we should summon Lancelot here as well. This does also concern him,” Arthur says and Merlin freezes, they couldn’t know that they were out in the woods tonight could they?

“Merlin what are you doing with the light on...oh good evening Sire, Gwaine. A bit late to be awake isn’t it?” Lancelot says coming in. 

“Have a seat Lancelot. We want to talk to you as well,” Arthur says and Merlin sees Lancelot glance at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Sire, what is this about?” 

“We saw you out in the woods this evening,” Arthur starts. 

“Forgive me Sire. I know I should have asked your permission to court Merlin but I wanted to make sure he would be receptive to my pursuit. As it is his heart belongs to someone else,” Lancelot says. 

“Yes, Gwaine,” Arthur says and Merlin blushes but at least Arthur doesn’t know about…

“And Freya,” Merlin completely freezes and Gwaine grimaces.

“We overheard your conversation,” he says looking at the ground. 

“How much of it?”

“The entire thing. Merlin...I am so sorry. We thought you and Lancelot were going out to run an errand or that you were meeting in secret as lovers. That doesn’t excuse our behavior but I beg you to see that we did not have malicious intentions,” Gwaine pleads looking him in the eye.

“I assume you have questions?” Merlin says.

“No,” they both say at the same time and Merlin is a little startled. 

“What we mean is that you don’t owe us any questions about something we had no right to be privy to. We won’t ask any questions and if you ask us to, we will completely forget everything we heard. We will never bring it again. The others will as well but they decided to make their apologies tomorrow morning,” Arthur says. 

“I…”

“But before you decide there’s one thing I should say,” Arthur starts and Merlin waits for the shouting, “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. For invading your privacy. For listening in. For disrespecting you. For Freya and for Will and for a large variety of other things that I don’t know about. It was wrong. You’re one of the few people I ever allowed myself to trust so implicitly and in turn you place a level of trust in myself and earlier today I broke that trust. I could give you all sorts of justifications for my actions tonight but when I look at them now they were small and narrowminded and didn’t take in the fact that you’re Merlin, my idiotic Manservant. So for the things I now know and don’t know, I’m sorry,” Arthur says and Merlin is gaping at him. 

“My turn. My reason for going out there tonight was because I was hoping to find out if you and Lancelot are together. I wanted to know if my courting would be accepted. I was wrong. I should have been more noble and simply asked one of you. Instead I was a coward, afraid of making myself vulnerable and instead broke the trust of both of you and I am sorry. But I am glad that you have someone to talk to about the things we don’t know,” Gwaine says and Merlin looks at Lancelot who nods to him and leans a bit forward ready for action. 

“Would you like to know?” Merlin asks and both men look at him. 

“Merlin?”

“Would you like to know the things you don’t?”

“Do you want to tell us?”

“Yes. I think this is the right time.”

“Then by all means the floor is yours,” Arthur says watching him. 

“Please promise to listen to the end before interrupting?”

“I promise.”

“I promise as well.”

Merlin takes a deep breath; this is the moment he dreamed of, that he’s been waiting for. 

“I have magic,” quick and simply like removing a bandage. The reaction is instant. Arthur rears back like he’s been struck and Gwaine has a hand on his sword but he is watching Arthur’s sword, not Merlin. Surprisingly Arthur doesn’t interrupt but seems to be puzzling over the information. 

“I was born with it. I was levitating objects from my first day on earth and while magic is not illegal in Ealdor...It’s close enough to Camelot that we were in constant danger of Knights coming to look for sorcerers.

My magic is instinctual. My mother would knock over a bucket and I would stop it from falling. One time I fell a tree and it nearly crushed a house. That’s the day Will found out. He was the one who startled me which caused the tree to fall. 

I came to Camelot to learn to control it. Gaius had given up sorcery but he would have been able to help me. Then you came in. Arthur the prat. You showed up and then I found out that we share a great destiny and all that and that it was my job to keep you alive so that one day you could unite the worlds of magic and man and all this riddle nonsense. Then the mother of the man whose execution greeted me on arrival appeared at that dinner and tried to kill you and no one deserves to die, even a prat. Anyway At first I did it because of that. I couldn’t see the man they called the once and future king in the prat I was forced to serve. But as I spent more time with you and I could see that inside of the prat was someone I could see being an amazing King. But more importantly you became my friend. I would die to protect you and my continued existence is not from lack of trying in that department. My magic has always ever been used for you or to help Camelot. This I swear to you,” Merlin says and weaves the rest of the story. Of Lancelot and the Questing Beast. Of Nimueh and the Dragon. Of Will, Freya, and Balinor. 

At the end of the conversation Merlin feels like he has aged more years than is his due but he also feels lighter now that they know. 

“Merlin…” Arthur says and grabs him and Merlin feels himself being pulled into a hug.

“Thank you,” he whispers before releasing him. 

“Merls, your life is even more adventurous than my own. Here I was bragging on hunts when it should have been you,” Gwaine says. 

“I always said you were the one Arthur should have Knighted and I still believe it,” Lancelot says. 

“No thanks. I’m not thick enough to be a knight,” Merlin says getting a playful shove from his friends. 

“Perhaps not a Knight. But Court Sorcerer is a vacant position,” Arthur says. 

“Half of my usefulness is people not expecting me to start using magic. If I were to be named Court Sorcerer then I lose that element of surprise,” Merlin says. 

“Then change your appearance! When your duties as sorcerer have a different appearance. Be mysterious,” Gwaine says. 

“Is this some weird way for you to court someone with a secret life?” Merlin asks and Gwaine smiles at him. 

“So you accept his request to court?” Arthur asks. 

“Yes,” Merlin says and Arthur and Lancelot look at Gwaine with looks on their faces that Merlin can’t identify. 

“Gwaine tomorrow while Merlin speaks with the other knights why don’t the three of us have a nice chat,” Arthur says with a smile. 

“Do you think you will tell them what you told us?” Gwaine asks.

“Yes. I...I trust them it’s just difficult to talk about after so long keeping it a secret,” Merlin says. 

“They love you as much as we do. They will accept you. You should get some sleep however. Tonight has been taxing,” Arthur says and Arthur and Lancelot leave with a quick goodnight. 

“Goodnight Merls,” Gwaine says, giving Merlin’s hand a kiss before leaving. 

Tonight has been a mess...but the good kind.


End file.
